West Ham United’s season has just gone from bad to worse after a Nuno Espirito Santo disaster-class in the 2-0 defeat to Brentford which has them looking relegation certainties.
There has been a rare air of positivity around West Ham since the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo.
Especially after encouraging performances in his first two games at Everton and Arsenal.
Hammers fans have also been impressed with Nuno’s team selection, tactics, ruthlessness, passion and interviews.
Until now.
Having had 16 days to work with much of his squad ahead of a crucial run of fixtures, hopes were high West Ham would start mounting their bid to pull away from danger when Brentford came to the London Stadium.
Nine scariest things about Nuno’s West Ham disaster-class
But West Ham served up a display as woeful, if not worse, than anything seen under Graham Potter and Julen Lopetegui.
Once again, the Hammers looked lost, lifeless and leaderless as they slipped further towards the drop in a game they could have easily lost by a cricket score.
Here are nine of the scariest things about Nuno’s West Ham disaster-class, as relegation from the Premier League starts to look a grim certainty.
Nuno’s starting XI baffling
Hammers fans have seen some shocking things over the last couple of years.
But Nuno’s team selection for a must-win, six-pointer against fellow early-season strugglers Brentford was absolutely baffling.
With Niclas Fullkrug injured and Tomas Soucek returning from a ban, most expected one minor change to the team after decent performances at Everton and Arsenal.
However, Nuno made five changes from the Arsenal game and some utterly bizarre ones at that.
Going with no striker, leaving out El Hadji Malick Diouf, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Soungoutou Magassa, starting Andy Irving in central midfield, bringing Ollie Scarles in out of the blue and playing the left-back at right back there is plenty to unpack.
While the Hammers started the game looking relatively good, it all fell apart and safe to say none of the changes made worked.
That brings us neatly on to the next scariest thing about Nuno’s disaster-class.
Nuno’s West Ham substitutions were a mess
Bringing on Guido Rodriguez for Tomas Soucek on 71 minutes while chasing the game at 1-0 down and leaving Callum Wilson on the bench has to go down as one of the worst West Ham substitutions of recent times – and there have been plenty to choose from.
Although bringing on Konstantinos Mavropanos for Mateus Fernandes at half-time ran it close.
The subs were a complete mess and three were wasted at half-time as a result of the bizarre starting line-up.
None of it made any sense and only added to the frustrations.
Irving and Scarles getting random starts
Nobody would have seen Ollie Scarles starting this game let alone playing at right back.
It was a terrible call and Scarles, who has been taken out of the firing line pretty much ever since being brutally exposed by Mohamed Salah at Liverpool last season, struggled badly before being subbed off at the break.
Nothing sums up West Ham’s regression more than the fact they had Declan Rice in the team just over two years ago and now Irving is starting matches.
The Scot was only signed as part of a feeder club deal and there was never any intention he would actually become a first team player.
Irving was about as useful as the feeder club deal that brought him to West Ham has proved to be.
Baffling.
West Ham’s full backs on the wrong sides
Even more baffling than dropping Diouf and Wan-Bissaka – two of West Ham’s best and most dynamic players – was playing their replacements on the wrong sides.
Why did Nuno switch the full-backs, it was not like he had a big striker Scarles and Kyle Walker-Peters could curl in-swinging crosses into.
They were both exposed on their weaker foots defensively too. A terrible call which Potter or Lopetegui would have been crucified over had it been them who made it.
Long balls to young star Marshall
Seeing young striker Callum Marshall being given a chance has been one of the refreshing things about Nuno’s tenure.
But the tactics when the diminutive, speedy star came on for Irving on the hour were highly questionable.
West Ham just pumped long balls up to Marshall for the last 30 minutes – when he was up against two of the tallest centre-backs in the Premier League.
Someone make it make sense.
West Ham not playing a striker at home
Yes Fullkrug is injured but most West Ham fans didn’t think he should be starting anyway.
Having only Marshall and Wilson in reserve screams relegation.
But for a West Ham team to play at home without a striker starting up front is gravely concerning.
Lucas Paqueta as a false nine simply doesn’t work.
It was a big gamble from Nuno and it didn’t pay off.
Nuno said he has been speaking to his Hammers backroom staff about the West Ham way and the meaning and feeling behind it.
Playing at home with no striker, when you have to win, is the antithesis of the West Ham way.
Why did Nuno ignore Hammers duo?
West Ham’s midfield looked completely empty, lacking in energy, athleticism, enthusiasm and bite.
Two midfielders who provide more of that than most are Magassa and Freddie Potts.
Yet the pair were left to watch on from the bench, not even getting on the pitch.
Both Potts and Magassa impressed in Nuno’s first two games so why were they now completely overlooked?
It is a very strange situation.
Todibo in from the cold but no Ward-Prowse
Something must have gone on between Nuno and James Ward-Prowse during that ill-fated loan spell at Nottingham Forest.
Ward-Prowse is known as a consummate professional in terms of how he behaves and carries himself.
So it is hard to imagine him falling out with a manager like Nuno.
Clearly Ward-Prowse needed to come out of the team at West Ham and Potter’s refusal to change that may have helped cost him his job.
But given West Ham’s lack of options and quality in depth, how can Ward-Prowse be deemed not good enough for the squad.
Especially given Irving started.
Bringing Jean-Clair Todibo in from the cold was also a strange one.
He went from being frozen out of Nuno’s squad selection at Arsenal to starting West Ham’s crucial clash with Brentford.
Todibo started well in fairness but it is clearly all a bit of a mess at Rush Green.
Nuno’s lack of answers
One of the most alarming things about West Ham’s defeat was the lack of answers Nuno had for Brentford’s tactics.
Once the Bees got a hold of the game, Nuno struggled to adapt his side and in the end they should have lost by a landslide.
If he doesn’t find some answers in the coming months, West Ham United will be relegated.
